Old Revell "H" part # kits

[Brutalform]

Looking at the old 55 Chevy Revell kits, with the opening doors and trunks. Is the tooling decent on these kits? Would they build into a nice drag car? Or should I avoid them?

thanks

[Ace-Garageguy]

These kits get a lot of bad press for being "fiddly" and "almost un-buildable".

Frankly, I disagree adamantly. The models are reasonably well-proportioned and look like what they're supposed to be.

They also take well-above-average skills to get the opening panels functioning and aligned correctly. Parts-count is high, and they can look spectacular if you take your time building them...if you have the skills and patience.

And you have to admit...they have some of the best box-art ever to grace a plastic kit.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lunajammer]

Flash is present so some of those plentiful fiddly parts will require even more time and care. Otherwise, I agree with everything Bill said. It looks so good it's always tempting to dive in if I know I have the time to afford.

[Mark]

Of the old opening-everything Revell Chevy kits, the '55 is the most buildable.  Try to get a Seventies issue kit if you prefer one molded in a lighter color.  Later issues are molded in red, bright blue, black, and yellow.  I can't recall one molded in white in the last 40 years.  You're buying an out-of-production kit, there are a lot of these around and the prices don't seem to vary that much between one issue and another.  So spend a couple extra bucks up front and get an earlier issue, which will have a cleaner plated tree and less flash elsewhere.  The later issues like the HOT ROD Magazine one don't include stock wheels or tires, if that matters.  

One rear inner wheel well on the chassis is narrower than the other (passenger side); those later issue kits include wider tires and wheels, and that right rear won't fit right out of the box.  The stock wheels and tires are really narrow, so those do fit.  I radiused the wheel openings on the one that's on the bench now (building a copy of the drag car on the original issue box) so I'm not dealing with that, so I don't know what the problem is there.  Maybe the inner wheel well is too thick and can be fixed by grinding it thinner, maybe the whole thing has to be moved inward to match the other side. 

Do plan on spending some time shimming up the hinges and retaining pieces for the opening panels, or toss the kit parts and substitute some scratchbuilt ones.  The hinges have a lot of slop when assembled right out of the box.  There's a good thread in another section showing various ways to make hinges.  You could easily make them to fit in the same space as the kit pieces, so you wouldn't have to mess with the notches in the door panels where the kit pieces fit.  I tuned up the hinge pieces in a '57 build a couple of years ago, having done that I will just replace the '55 parts.  The trunk hinge on all of these '55-'57 kits is similar to the door hinges, the arms of the hinge are close together instead of out near the quarter panel as on the 1:1 car.  That could be fixed with a replacement hinge.  The rear corners of the hood are thin.  You might want to build them up on the underside.  I've seen a number of built '55 kits with the rear corners of the hood curled upwards.  Some unbuilt later issue kits also have that problem.   

They're not the easiest things to build, but the parts actually do fit together pretty well, and there is a feeling of accomplishment in getting one finished.  I did the '57 hardtop as a club project, and got it done on time in spite of making a number of changes.  A couple of guys in the club, really good builders, told me they'd tried to build one in the past, and had given up on it.  I set the '55 aside for a while to concentrate on this year's club project (had to start with an unbuilt kit, and the '55 was underway prior to that) but am getting back on it.  A MCG '55 photoetch set arrived the other day, and it looks like I can get most of it (including the grille mesh) to fit the older Revell kit...

[Deathgoblin]

I've got one of the Lancia Stratos kits (H-7303) pretty well finished except for decals.  It was a little rough, but overall came out pretty decent.  I've built much worse.

[louie]

Mark, I really appreciate the information on this kit.  Very good stuff.   Thank you.    Jeff 

[Snake45]

I got the '56 together as a kid, and still have it. Back in the '90s I got the urge to do another one, and bought one that had a warped body. Bought a second one, same thing. Wrote to Revell who kindly sent me two more warped bodies. Far as I can tell, those molds are shot. With the more recent '56 Delray kit available, there's no reason to try to build the old '56.

As for the '55 and '57, in both cases, there are newer and/or better alternatives available, so I can't imagine deliberately trying to build either, unless I just happened to find one (paid for) in the stash and just happened to get in the mood to do it just for the pure challenge.

Just my opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it.

[Mark]

The '56 went bad (became unbuildable) before any of the others, except the '57 Nomad which was never any good.  I've got a couple of first issue Nomads and they've got serious issues.  Back to the '56: The HOT ROD issue is definitely bad.  I bought one when it was issued...windows fell through the openings.  I've got a lightly cemented built first-issue '56, which is great because the assembly has kept everything nice and straight.  The next '57 I tackle will be a first issue kit.  I'll have to get the chrome redone (Revell didn't use any, or enough, lacquer undercoat in those days).  I might cast some wheelcover/rim units so I can use those styrene-melting US Royal tires on it.

[Snake45]

 I might cast some wheelcover/rim units so I can use those styrene-melting US Royal tires on it.

Or you could just cover the part of the wheels that come in contact with the tires with BMF or even kitchen foil. I've also used acrylic paint (NOT enamel) as a barrier. Next time I do this, I'll brush a coat or two of Future on the inside of the tires, too, as a further barrier.

[Brutalform]

Wow thanks everyone for the informative replies. I was just looking to build the 55 Chevy as a pro streeter, figuring it might be easier to have a build with the doors already opened. Not sure if want to tackle a non door open kit. Pretty much wondering if it would be easier to build one of these, instead of opening the doors on a newer kit. 

[Brutalform]

I wasn't really concerned with flash or pin marks. Just hoping it doesn't turn into a poorly fitting or lopsided build, as I have never had any experience with these kits. 

[unclescott58]

Interesting, the comments about Revell's '57 Nomad being bad. I've heard this before. I've built at least two of these over the years. One in the very early 1970's. One later on, near the end of that same decade. True it was a more difficult kit to build compared to the common AMT and MPC kits of time. But, I don't remember having any major problems building that first one. The second one? I do remember having a little more difficulties with that one for some reason. Yet I don't remember why.

The lack of a good '57 Nomad in 1/25 (or 1/24) scale baffles me. This is a kit I would think would sell like hot cakes. It seems like everybody loves the '57 Chev. And Nomad has been popular since they quit building the real ones back in the day. So where is this kit?

[Greg Myers]

Look, you're in luck, out now.  

[Robberbaron]

All these old Revell tri-5 kits have some different issues.  I think out of the box, the 55 hardtop probably looks the most correct of the bunch.  One thing I've noticed is that the headlights/bezels don't look quite right.  I think the headlights mount a bit too low under the fender "hoods", due to the top of the bezel being too thick.  Gives the car a "wide-eyed" look compared to the 1:1.  If I ever get around to building my Skip's Drive-In version, I think I'll shave some material off the top of each bezel to try to tuck the lights in a little better under the hoods.  FWIW, the Skips version also does not have stock wheels/tires.  It's molded in black, but mine seems warp free.

Unlike my Hot Rod issue '56 sedan, which is hopelessly warped like everyone else's.  Avoid this version like the plague, as I have yet to hear of anyone purchasing one that had a useable body.  It's possible that the entire run was warped, from packing the bodies too quickly.  Chrome in all these Revell kits of this era was also VERY poor quality.  Such was Revell QC in the mid to late '80s.  I bought mine at a swap meet long after it was out of production (only a year or so before the new tool '56 sedan came out), so was SOL as far as getting a replacement body or a refund.

Because I'm a pack rat who can't stand to part with anything, I still have it.  Only use I've thought of is to build it as a late 60s/early 70s circle track car that's been seriously battle tested, which would allow me to use the existing warpage as a starting point.  From what I've seen in pictures, I believe most racers preferred to use sedans as opposed to hardtop for circle track cars, so that would at least make sense.

One nice aspect of all these tri-5s is their overdetailed engines, with separate cranks, piston detail, etc.  I believe others have stated that they're pretty much equivalent to the Revell parts pack engines as far as detail, and could look great partially disassembled in a diorama.  I seem to recall the '55 has both the SBC as well as a big block W motor.

I believe the top is a little "chopped" in both the '57 hardtop and Nomad, although I'll admit I haven't bought either.  My brother did build the Nomad when we were kids though, and I remember he had a heck of a time finishing it.  I specifically recall him struggling with the front suspension and steering, trying to get everything together using Testors tube glue.  He did finish it, but it wasn't one of his "front row" builds... ?

Edited September 3, 2016 by Robberbaron

[Robberbaron]

Forgot to mention: in the few (older issue) built up '56s that I've seen posted, it seems like there's something not quite right about the c-pillar profile and the quarter window shape.

IMO, unless you can get these old issue tri-5s dirt cheap as a parts source, there's not much reason to seek them out when there are now new tool versions of the subjects that are so much superior. (Except the '57 Nomad, I suppose)  I guess it could be a nostalgia thing for some, or maybe you like sado-masochism...

[Mark]

The old tri-five Chevy kit engines are pretty similar to the parts pack engines.  In fact, the '57 hardtop got a facelift in the late Sixties, and the revised kit includes the long block from the '63 Corvette parts pack engine.  If you've got a recent issue of the '57 hardtop, take a look at the parts tree with most of the unplated engine parts on it.  That was around the time Revell tooled the Nomad kit.  I never checked the parts, perhaps some of the parts from the first issue hardtop (like the engine) wound up in the Nomad.  The two don't share any parts (things like front bumpers are similar and even interchange, but aren't exactly the same).

The engines don't have separate crankshafts, etc, but the detail is molded as part of the engine block pieces.  All of them have '58-up engine blocks with engine mount bosses on the sides.  The '55 and '56 kits have ram's horn exhaust manifolds which are '57-up pieces.  Looking at the '55 stock valve covers, the bolt detail on the upper side is nonexistent.  I think the bolt holes were staggered on early cars, and the upper and lower holes were parallel (same distance between them) starting around '59.  In any event, they've all got later long blocks in them.

[Brutalform]

Very informative replies. Thank you. I didn't realize that the tooling had all these engine molds. I never had any of these kits, but I did see one of the chrome trees, and it did look poor as Robert stated. If I do get the 55 kit, I'm pretty much just interested in the body with all of the open doors, hood, and trunk. Most of the build would be a kit bash build. The headlights bezels are a concern. It's got to look like a correct car.

[Brutalform]

This would be the kit I'm after.

[Brutalform]

Actually the deal on looking at had two of the same kits. A couple of pics of each one.

[Mark]

That's a Seventies issue, it will have the stock wheels/tires.  It should have everything that the original issue had, except the slicks and (rear only) mag wheels for the drag version.  They will have one-piece taillights on the plated tree (only the original had red lenses).  The bumper guards are molded as part of the bumper, if that matters.  The bodies appear to have the temporary braces in the door openings, so they should still be straight.  

[ZTony8]

I built the '56 sedan as a kid and had no real problems with it.Sometimes being young and dumb has advantages!I still have the model in my stash though pieces have graduallly fallen off of it.Also in my stash I have a couple of the '55 hardtops built way back by a buddy and as I recall the opening panels fit well.I also have unbuilt 70s versions of the '55 and the '57 Nomad in my stash.

[Robberbaron]

The engines don't have separate crankshafts, etc, but the detail is molded as part of the engine block pieces.

Oops, sorry for the bad info.  I think in my mind I was merging the AMT '58 Impala engine (which DOES have a separate crank) with the Revell engines.  That's what I get for trying to go off memory instead of actually digging a kit out of my stash to confirm visually.  Hate to spread misinformation...

[unclescott58]

Oops, sorry for the bad info.  I think in my mind I was merging the AMT '58 Impala engine (which DOES have a separate crank) with the Revell engines.  That's what I get for trying to go off memory instead of actually digging a kit out of my stash to confirm visually.  Hate to spread misinformation...

Shame on you. I thought I was the only one allowed to make mistakes like that.

 

[tim boyd]

I can't speak to the '55 and '56, as though I have a number of them in inventory, I've never built them.

I can speak to the original Revell "H-Series" '57 Bel Air, and you can read the results in the infamous "'57 Chevy Comparo" article back in the 1983 volume (IIRC) of the other major model car magazine.  

Photos told it all, and the text added flavor.  But to save you the trouble, it finished #4 of 4 (and that's even below the original Monogram  1/24th Bel Air, which has some pretty major body proportion issues).  I did get it together eventually (as seen in the article), but my recollection is that it took as long to put together as it did to assemble the other three models combined.  I think my verdict was something like "unacceptable for the human race" (just kidding).  

FWIW....TIM 

 

 

[unclescott58]

Tim not all of us have access to back copies of every model car magazine. Since its been 33 years since that article was published, maybe it's time for you to do an updated version of it. I know I would love to see it. Your knowledge and writing are always worth reading.